


The Old Wolf and the New Year

by nerdyholler (katznhund)



Series: New Year's Eve Drabbles [3]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Bittersweet, F/M, First Day, New Years, Warden Inquisitor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-04 11:31:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13363845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katznhund/pseuds/nerdyholler
Summary: Ithlen reflects on a new year with Solas while out in the Hissing Wastes.





	The Old Wolf and the New Year

First Day celebrations were limited to what they could scrape together in camp. It would seem Corypheus had little awareness for holidays in his schedule and they were stuck out in the Hissing Wastes instead of back in Skyhold.

In some ways, Ithlen preferred it like this. The last year had been hard. She’d lost her wardens, her identity, and in many ways, her freedom. She was now bound to this post, even more so than she had been to being a warden. While their numbers were small, there were quite a few wardens. There was only one Inquisitor.

Solas found her sitting alone on the edge of camp, staring off into the endless expanse. “Vhenan?”

She looked up at the sound of his voice. “You should be sleeping. I have the first watch.”

He sat down beside her in the warm sand, “True, but I suspect your thoughts are far from this camp.”

“If I were back in Amaranthine, there would be a huge morning feast for the Wardens, then I would go into the city to meet with the people there and say a few words about the past year before the celebration began. This year I’m here and I wonder about them. How they’re doing. How the next year will fair for them. Will the crops be good? Will there be a darkspawn sighting? Will the real Calling begin for one of us?”

He looked at the remarkable woman beside him. In another time… In another place… “You’ve done what you could and left them better than you found them. As much as we want to, we can’t always be there to guide them.” As he spoke the words left a bitter taste in his mouth, a reminder of all that had gone wrong as he slept.

“Life is full of new beginnings,” he continued, “tomorrow will be one more. A new dawn, a new day, and a new year. Who knows what mysteries the future holds. Only by pressing forward do we find out.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she sighed. “Tomorrow I can’t do anything for the people of Amaranthine but, if we’re lucky, we can do something for the slaves brought here by the Venatori. That will be enough.”

She stood to leave, bending over to kiss him on the top of his head, “Good night, Solas. May the new year bring changes for us both.”

“I have no doubt that it will,” he whispered after her.


End file.
